Biology

Vileplume is a blue, bipedal Pokémon with rudimentary hands and feet. It has beady red eyes and a massive red flower growing from its head. Vileplume's flower is said to have the largest petals in the world, and is almost too heavy for the Pokémon itself to support. The rounded petals of the flower are red and covered with white spots. The female Vileplume has fewer, but larger, spots on its petals. It can shake, flap, or burst its petals into bloom with a bang in order to release clouds of pollen. This pollen is highly allergenic to humans and toxic to other Pokémon; Vileplume uses it to paralyze its prey. Vileplume lives in grassy plains and jungles, where it is often mistaken for native flowers.

In the anime

Vileplume in the anime

Major appearances

Vileplume's first major appearance was in Holy Matrimony!. The Flower Pokémon was under the ownership of James's fiancee, Jessebelle. Prior to the flashback when James ran away from home, it was once an Oddish. It reappeared in The Treasure Is All Mine! when Jessebelle used it to open a blocked passageway.

A Vileplume appeared at the start of Leave It To Brocko!. It was running through the forest throughout the night after being woken with a shock when a Nuzleaf fell out of its tree, hitting the Vileplume on its head.

Origin

Vileplume, like Gloom, is based on the Rafflesia arnoldii, a foul-smelling flower known as the world's largest single flower. This Pokémon more strongly resembles the flower than Gloom, which may represent the budding stage of the rafflesia. Vileplume's flower also looks alike to several other genus of Rafflesia, notably cantleyi, keithii, pricei, panchoana and speciosa, of which the petal shape is a closest match. Female Vileplume may be based on Rafflesia hasseltii, as its petals have distinctively larger blotches than other genus of Rafflesia.

Name origin

Vileplume is a combination of vile and plume or plumose (possessing filaments or branches that give a feathery look).